


before coffee, and after

by hawksonfire



Series: oh, the good ol' days [7]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Awesome Clint Barton, Bucky & JARVIS are friends, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes is Touch Starved, Deaf Clint Barton, Established Clint/Steve, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) is a Good Bro, M/M, Marvel Bingo 2019, Multi, POV Bucky Barnes, Pre-Relationship, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve just wants to help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 05:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21422911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawksonfire/pseuds/hawksonfire
Summary: In which Bucky does a goof, Steve tries to help, and Clint is just along for the ride.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: oh, the good ol' days [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533320
Comments: 45
Kudos: 236
Collections: Marvel Bingo 2019





	before coffee, and after

**Author's Note:**

> Marvel Bingo Square N5 - Clint Barton.
> 
> and so it begins!!!! FINALLY these three boys are starting to get a clue. Kinda. Sorta. Well.

**Bucky**

The first time Barnes ever saw Clint Barton, he was aiming a razor-sharp arrow directly between Barnes’s legs. It hadn’t quite sunken in yet that he was going to be seeing Steve for the first time since he had tried to beat his face to a pulp in a few moments, so he let himself be distracted by the ridiculous biceps on Barton. 

And then Steve stepped out of the elevator. Barnes could see the coiled tension in his body, could practically feel Steve vibrating with the need to hug him or move closer or _ something _ \- but Barton just stepped in front of him, putting himself between Steve and Barnes. It was a novel feeling, annoyance - did he really think that Barnes would have come within a mile of this damn Tower if he wasn’t absolutely sure that there was zero chance of him hurting Steve?

Still, he could respect that Barton was protecting his teammate. It wasn’t until Barton had kissed Steve, straight on the mouth as they were heading up to Barton’s floor, that he realized that Steve had finally found himself a fella. Good for him. Feelings are still... new, to Barnes, so the flare of what he identifies as protectiveness throws him for a loop. 

He’s not expecting their shared experiences to come up so soon, but it’s clear that neither of them wants to talk about what happened to them and Barnes is sure that they’re equally thankful when the subject changes. Barton shows him to his room, which he wasn’t expecting, then tells him that they’re there to watch his back too, not just Steve’s - they being the Avengers, which he also wasn’t expecting. 

He can hear Barton talking to someone outside his closed door, and the faint conversation of the computer that runs the building’s response doesn’t make him twitchy like people do. Barnes takes a minute, letting himself blow out a breath, then does a sweep of the room. It comes up clear, so he lets himself sit on the bed and run a hand over the soft sheets. He was expecting a cell. He was expecting a lot of things, but none of them were a legal defense run by the woman he trained brutally and the son of the man he murdered in cold blood.

He’s not sure he’ll be able to sleep, but maybe, just maybe... He can at least let his guard down a little. Just a little. 

~~

It doesn’t really click, how close he was to having an arrow buried in his gut, until he goes down to the range with Steve one day and sees Barton firing arrow after arrow into a target, making perfect circles, right down to the bullseye. “Jesus Christ, Steve, you let him point one of those things at me?” Barnes says, eyes wide. 

“It wasn’t at you,” Steve protests. “Technically he was aiming it at the ground.”

Barnes scoffs. “Yeah, like that would’ve stopped him.”

“He’s not wrong, Steve,” Barton says, smirking. “World’s greatest marksman, remember?”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Steve grins. What’s he up to? “B-Barnes held the record in the War, he might have you beat.”

“Not really a fair fight anyway,” Barnes says, tilting his head. “We use different weapons, so we’re probably both the best in our respective fields.”

“I can use a gun if I want,” Barton shrugs, “Bow is quieter.”

“And more traceable,” Barnes points out. 

“Not if you blow up the arrow after,” Barton says, smirking. Barnes wants to bite that smirk off his face. Wait, what?

“I gotta go,” he mutters, backing away and bolting out of the range. It’s only when he’s back in his room that he realizes yes, he absolutely did just run away and hide in his room like a child. Also, his room is right next to Barton’s room. “Didn’t think that one through, did you, Barnes,” he mutters.

“Barnes,” the computer voice says. “Captain Rogers and Agent Barton are enquiring as to your well-being. They are deeply sorry if they caused any discomfort on your part.”

“No, it’s -” Bucky blows out a sigh. “It’s not their fault, I just got a little twitchy. Tell them I’m sorry, would you?”

“I am happy to assist,” the voice assures him.

“Hey, uh, JARVIS?” Bucky starts, feeling a little foolish. He’s gotta admit, the whole artificial intelligence thing is pretty cool.

“How can I help?”

“What can you tell me about Barton?”

Silence, and then, “If you’re asking me for classified information, I’m afraid I cannot -”

“No, nothing like that,” Bucky says hurriedly. “I just... I dunno, wanna know more about him. He’s my best friend’s fella, shouldn’t I know things about him?”

“I would suggest asking Agent Barton if you would like to know things about him,” JARVIS says gently. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Barnes mutters. “I just - I’m not so good at the talking to people thing yet, I don’t wanna mess shit up.”

“I am highly doubtful that you would, as you say, mess shit up, Barnes,” JARVIS says dryly. “Agent Barton strikes me as an easygoing sort of man, I do not think he would hold anything you say against you.”

“Again, you’re probably right,” Barnes sighs. “It’s just anxiety, I guess.”

“If I may, Barnes?” JARVIS says - almost hesitantly. “I feel that you are doing an excellent job with, as you said, the whole ‘talking to people thing’. I do hope that helps ease your worries, even if just a small amount.”

“Y’know, JARVIS?” Barnes says, smiling slightly, “It does. Thank you.”

“I am always happy to help.” Barnes sits in silence on his bed for a while longer, thinking. He knows that Barton won’t judge him, but it’s still tough to put himself out there. It’s sorta different with Stevie, probably because Steve remembers who he was, which is a whole ‘nother set of expectations that Barnes can’t deal with right now.

He sighs. Ah, well. Nowhere to go but up, right?

~~

He quickly learns not to talk to Barton before the man’s had at least one cup of coffee and is halfway through his second. He knows that Barton is functioning at about two percent of brain capacity before coffee in the mornings, so he’s not entirely sure why he’s surprised when Barton stumbles into the kitchen one morning and drapes himself over Barnes’ back instead of Steve’s, like he usually does. 

Barnes tenses, back going rigid - until Barton pokes him in the side, not opening his eyes and grumbles, “Loosen up, less comfy like this.”

Despite himself, Barnes snorts and forces himself to relax, loosening his grip on the pencil in his hand. Across the table, Steve and Stark do the same, although the latter still watches him carefully. “I thought Legolas was dating the other supersoldier in the room?” He says, lifting an eyebrow.

“He is,” Barnes answers, passing a mug of coffee over his shoulder, “But the serum means we put off a lot of heat, so he probably just mixed the two of us up. Doesn’t help that I’m sitting where Steve usually sits.”

Clint snuffles against his back, pressing himself closer. He pushes his face into Barnes’ shoulder, and Barnes does his best to pretend that he can’t feel Clint’s breath through the thin cotton of his shirt, and when that fails, he pretends that it doesn’t bother him. “I could move him,” Steve offers. 

“It’s not bothering me, he’s like a koala,” Barnes shrugs. “If it’s bothering you, go ahead.” He wouldn’t blame Steve for being a little jealous, Barnes would be too if he had a fella as fine as Clint hanging all over someone else. 

“Clint gets grumpy when he’s moved,” Steve says, smiling, “We can just wait for him to wake up.”

Barnes shrugs. “Fine with me.” He goes back to his crossword and manages to fill out a few more words before the coffee wakes Clint up enough that he pushes off of Barnes’ back and heads over to Steve.

Once he’s got Steve’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, he peers at Barnes over his mug. “Sorry,” he offers quietly. “I don’t work before coffee.”

“‘S okay,” Barnes shrugs. He looks back down at his crossword and before his nerves get the best of him, mutters, “It was nice.” Nobody reacts, but he doesn’t dare look up - so he misses the way Steve’s eyebrows go a little higher on his forehead and the thoughtful look he gives Clint.

~~

It takes a minute for Barnes to notice when things change, but eventually he gets wise to it. “Are you two-timing Steve?” He demands as he walks into the kitchen and sees Clint there, staring at the coffee machine. 

Clint chokes on his own tongue. “What the fuck, no! Why would I be cheating on Steve?”

“Because you’ve been all over me the past few days,” Barnes starts, “You drape yourself over me in the mornings and you hug me goodnight and you’re always touching me and I don’t understand why!”

Clint blinks at him, and Barnes realizes that he’s breathing hard and his fists are clenched. “First of all,” Clint says slowly, “I would never cheat on Steve. Not ever.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry, I just -” Barnes tries.

“Secondly,” Clint continues like he wasn’t even talking, “I’ve been ‘all over you’, as you put it, because any idiot can see that you’re touch-starved, and as a matter of fact any idiot _ did _ see. Steve, to be precise. He saw that you were mostly okay with me touching you, and asked if I wouldn’t mind doing it a little bit more in the hopes that it would help with your recovery.”

“But why didn’t Steve just do it?” Barnes asks, confused. 

“What would you have done if he came up to you and given you one of those chokeholds he calls a hug?” Clint raises an eyebrow. 

Barnes grimaces. “Probably stabbed him,” he admits. 

“That’s why,” Clint says dryly. “If it bothers you, I’ll stop, but you should know it doesn’t bother me.”

“No, it doesn’t - it’s not -” Barnes stops, takes a breath, and tries again. “It doesn’t bother me. It’s nice, I just don’t want Steve to get upset.”

“Buddy, he suggested it,” Clint snorts, “You ask me, I think he’d be happy to know I was able to help.”

“And happier if I started returning the favour?” Barnes asks wryly. 

Clint stares at him seriously. “You don’t owe us a thing, Barnes. You want us to stop, we stop, end of story. You want us to keep going? Great! We will. But you owe us nothing, got it? This is not something you have to deal with.”

Barnes blinks. “I got it.” Clint salutes him with his mug and makes his way out of the kitchen. “Hey, Clint?” The archer stops, only just out of Barnes’ reach, and looks at him. Fuck it. Barnes takes two steps forward and hugs Clint loosely, backing away after a few seconds. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Clint smiles gently, “No problem, Barnes. Anytime.”

“Call me Bucky,” he says on a whim. 

Clint looks surprised. “Alright. Anytime, Bucky, I mean that.” Bucky nods, the corner of his mouth curling up, and watches Clint walk out of the kitchen. Shit. He’s absolutely fucked, isn’t he?


End file.
